Friday, October 11, 2013

October Guest Designer : Kathy Clayton!

Help us welcome our October Guest Designer Kathy Clayton!

Hi! Kathyhere today and I want to share with you a mixed media layout I did . . . it isactually the 4th one I have done this month.I
had received a big package of flowers that I had been dying to use, so I
finally took the plunge and decided to use them with some VLVS stamps
and along with some techniques I learned online a few weeks ago. I am
so excited (and more than a little nervous) to be a Guest Designer here
on the VLVS! blog. I mean, I have seen what VLVS's designers have done .
. . and they are so A-W-E-S-O-M-E and so inspirational. I just hope I don't trip in their shoes. lol

But
first, a little about me. I live a little town outside of Des Moines,
Iowa, with my husband and 17-year old daughter. I am a 2x cancer
survivor . . . the 1st time being 17 years ago and the 2nd time 10 years
ago. Being a 2x cancer survivor and dealing with other
life-threatening illnesses, I've learned to take chances whether it'd be
a new treatment, meeting new friends or trying new techniques/projects (like I did for this project). What's the worse that can happen if doesn't work? I have to try again? There are worse things in life. I
love to craft, can, cook, read, garden, quilt . . . well, just about
everything working with my hands while being creative. My blog is http://www.upinthenightwithkat.blogspot.com

Now on to my layout:

For this layout, I got my inspiration from one of my favorite designers, Czekoczyna. I
used a few of my favorite VLVS! stamps along with one of my daughter's
favorite colors . . . also a picture she took of herself and sent it to
me.

Since this was along
process (as least for me), I am only going to highlight the most
important parts of what I did. The very 1st thing I did was use my
Miracle Tape and taped some Super Stock behind the cardstock I was using
. . . this was to help stiffen it so it wouldn't buckle under the
weight of all the embellishments I was going to use. Then I adhered
strips and squares of different papers using Helmar 450 Quick Dry
Adhesive (it is important to use a liquid adhesive for this first part
so the paper doesn't wrinkle as much). Once I had my paper down in an
assortment that worked with the picture I was using, I added some washi
tape. After that, I applied gesso over it using a square piece of
plastic (this is to help pull of the papers together) and added small
clusters of checkerboard throughout.

I
then added my picture using foam tape. (I did cover my photo with a
blank piece of cardboard as not to get ink or glue on it . . . I just
wanted it there to help with placement of my flowers and such). Then I
started adding clusters of flowers, pieces of chicken wire chipboard,
lace, and rub-ons. Then I went to work with my mists and glazes till I
was happy with the results. I added some jute, a stick pin and a key to
my clusters of flowers.

Once I was finished with all the adhering and misting, I stamped my VLVS! images here and there. I added the chicken wire stamp in various places around my photo and lower flower cluster. Stamped "Pure Imagination" below my photo and stamped "Be an ADVENTURER"
to the right of my photo . . . I ended up trying to double stamp it,
trying to "shadow" it, but it didn't quite work the way I wanted. But I
am happy with it anyway....as I always say, "There are NO mistakes, only creative discoveries . . . nothing is right or wrong."

Added some bling and some droplets of black drawing ink and VOILA! I was done.

Thanks
so much for stopping by. I hope I was able to inspire at least one
person today . . . if I did, my world is complete (well, at least for
today it is- lol). I can hardly wait to share my 2nd project in a couple of weeks.